FINAL PHASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1943, Page 3

FINAL PHASE

CONCENTRATED TARGET FOR ALLIED AIRMEN AXIS SUPPLY PROBLEMS. SOME ENEMY FORCES TRAPPED IN SOUTH. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, April 13. Now that the stage is almost set for the final phase of the Battle of Tunisia, correspondents have been summing up the pros and cons of the situation. Howard Marshall says that two factors in our favour are worth noting: (1) The enemy is now offering our powerful air forces more concentrated targets than they have has before, with the whole of the territory within range of our fast fighters; and (2), in order to replace men and supplies the enemy has only two main ports, and our bombers are going to reduce the use of these very considerably. Another correspondent says that Rommel will probably be forced to use even bigger fleets of transport planes, and with our air bases so near this is likely to be a very costly business. According to the Algiers radio, there are still some Axis forces in southern Tunisia in the Maknassi area. There is no chance of their getting away now, and the mopping up is only a matter of time. VISIT TO NORTH AFRICA MADE BY LORD GORT. LONDON, April 12. The Commander-in-Chief, Malta,; Lord Gort, has just paid a five days' visit to North Africa. He stayed with Mr Harold MacMillan, the British Resident Minister at .Algiers, and also saw General Eisenhower, Sir Andrew Cunningham, and General Giraud. Later he visited General Alexander’s headquarters, and saw British and American forces at the front.